A control apparatus is used in conjunction with further elements inter alia for starting, switching on and switching off equipment, such as a motor. The area of application of such control apparatuses extends, for example, from use in a controller for systems to use in machines.
A control apparatus of a generic type with elements such as a control unit and a control element in the form of a switching device have been known for a long time in practice. Switching devices of this type have been widely tested and been very well proven in practice, but can be used only to a limited extent in a direct encapsulated application, for example close to a motor, owing to their operating characteristics.
DE 197 04 801 C2 has also disclosed a motor switching stage with a drive unit which has electronic switching devices and cooling elements.
The problems in this case are firstly the power loss which is produced during operation of the electronic switching devices and is counteracted by complex cooling measures. Secondly, owing to safety considerations, an additional switching device is often required, to carry out the task of disconnection via switching pieces in order to produce an air gap.